Thirsty Thursday

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1. Back-to-work cleared moms. Contributor Ana Sherman offers, “In the cleared world, maternity leave is often non-existent or extremely short at best, so how do you throw yourself back into the working world when you’re pretty sure you haven’t had enough time to throw yourself together? It’s certainly not easy, but there are a few steps you can take to make the transition as painless as possible . . . .”

2. What women want. Editor Lindy Kyzer reports, “When it comes to the best benefits for attracting women applicants, the answers may surprise you. It isn’t paid maternity leave or on-site day care that women find most attractive, but ‘gender neutral’ benefits including telework, mentorship programs and paid training. . . .”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1. Bergdahl deserted: faces life. Reuters’ Kelly Twedell reports, “U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, a former Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan, was formally charged on Wednesday with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of the most serious count . . . . Former Army Sergeant Evan Buetow, who served with Bergdahl, said on Wednesday that the former war prisoner had been treated fairly by the Army and needed ‘to answer for what he did.’ ‘He put all of our lives in danger,’ Buetow said. ‘Men from our company died, when I don’t believe they would have if he wouldn’t have left.’”

2. Taking back Tikrit: coalition attacks. Defense Media Activity’s Cheryl Pellerin reports, “U.S. and coalition military forces have begun operations in support of Iraqi security forces in Tikrit after a request from the Iraqi government . . . . the coalition is now providing direct support to Iraqi security forces conducting operations to expel the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant from the city. The joint, combined task force is providing air strikes, airborne intelligence capabilities, and advise and assist support to Iraqi security force headquarters elements to enhance their ability to defeat ISIL . . . .” See also, “US begins airstrikes against Islamic State in Tikrit, supports Shiite militias.”

3. Saudis attack Houthis. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “Dozens of Saudi Air Force jets, accompanied by fighter jets of several Gulf States, yesterday (Wednesday) launched a series of attacks against Shia’ Houthi insurgents in Yemen in an effort to beat back to progress of the Houthi forces across Yemen. The Saudis’ ultimate goal is to defeat the pro-Iranian Houthis, but the immediate Saudi worry is the growing presence of the Houthis – who hail from north Yemen – in and around the port city of Aden in south Yemen. The Saudi air strikes, carried out after consultations with the United States, are the first step in a broad military campaign which will include ground forces and will see the participation of other Arab states.” See also, “Yemen conflict fuels calls for southern independence.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1. Black Ops software acquisition fight. AP’s Ken Dilanian reports, “Military bureaucrats have been trying to force an unpopular government-built intelligence system on special operations units deploying to war zones while blocking soldiers from using the commercial alternative they say they need . . . . Over the last four months, six Army special operations units about to be deployed into Afghanistan, Iraq and other hostile environments have requested software made by Palantir, a Silicon Valley company that has synthesized data for the CIA, the Navy SEALs and the country’s largest banks, among other government and private entities.”

2. “I am not a salesman for the F-35.” Breaking Defense’s Colin Clark reports, “The uniformed officers who run weapons programs are often cast as advocates for their programs. After all, they have to fight for money each time the defense budget is built. And their careers depend on how well their program performs while they are running it. Everyone who covers the F-35 remembers when Robert Gates very publicly and unceremoniously announced that he had fired Bogdan’s predecessor, Marine Maj. Gen. David Heinz, during the 2010 annual budget briefing. Heinz was probably fired for his support of the second engine for the F-35 — Gates didn’t appreciate people who disagreed with his views in public — but fired he was.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1. CIA’s drone czar removed. The Washington Post’s Greg Miller reports, “The head of the CIA’s Counter­terrorism Center, who presided over the agency’s drone campaign and directed the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is being removed from his post . . . a watershed moment as the CIA turns its focus to a new generation of extremist threats. The move, part of a major reorganization under CIA Director John Brennan, ends a nine-year tenure during which the center was transformed into a paramilitary force that employed armed drones to kill thousands of suspected terrorists and militants but also killed an unknown number of civilians.”

2. FBI’s intel shortfalls. The New York Times’ Michael S. Schmidt reports, “The F.B.I. has made great strides since the Sept. 11 attacks but urgently needs to improve its intelligence capabilities, hire more linguists and elevate the stature of its analysts to counter the rapidly evolving threats to the United States . . . . The report by the F.B.I. 9/11 Review Commission said the bureau had prevented catastrophic terrorist attacks but needed to improve its ability to collect information from people and to efficiently analyze it . . . .” Read the report. See also, “FBI needs to improve intelligence capabilities, hire more linguists.”

3. Sun setting on Sec. 215 of Patriot Act. The Wall Street Journal’s Damian Paletta reports, “The National Security Agency will cease collecting bulk telephone metadata if Congress doesn’t reauthorize or replace parts of a federal law that expires at the end of May . . . . The provision that would expire is Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. . . . There had been speculation that the White House might nevertheless continue the bulk telephone data collection even if the law were allowed to sunset.” See also, “White House: No plan B if NSA deadline passes.”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1. Metaphor hell: thin ice; short leash; walking walks; broken chains; headless bodies. “Several members of Congress involved in investigating the latest embarrassing Secret Service incident at the White House say they are keeping Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy on a short leash. ‘I think the next 30 or 60 days will tell whether he’s going to be a director who really wants a cultural change or he’s a director who’s going to continue the status quo of talking a good game but not walking the walk,’ [said] Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee . . . . ‘I believe when the chain of command is broken, there is no command,’ Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said during Clancy’s testimony before the Oversight Committee Tuesday. ‘It’s like a body without a head . . . .”

2. Table flipping. “[President Obama] reminded Republicans that some of the ideas behind the Affordable Care Act — most notably its individual mandate to buy coverage — were once supported by some conservatives, although its Medicaid expansion and some other big parts of the law stem more from liberal thought. ‘The Affordable Care Act pretty much was their plan before I adopted it,’ he said. . . . But Obama sharply criticized the GOP for trying to undermine the law but failing to introduce their own comprehensive alternative. Republicans have introduced many separate bills aimed at reforming healthcare, but have been unable to unite behind one big plan.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1. “Better Privacy Protections Key to US Foreign Policy Coherence.” Defense One contributor Alex Sinha argues, “Despite its lofty rhetoric about promoting Internet freedom and associated human rights, the U.S. needs a new general comment on privacy as much as anyone.”

2. “The Republican road to the White House runs through Israel.” Reuters contributor Keith Koffler argues, “If relations with Israel continue to deteriorate and Obama moves to ‘re-assess’ Washington’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian question, the importance of Israel as an election issue to those with an emotional attachment to the nation will only grow. And a Republican could ride that wave of emotion straight to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”

3. “Events have passed by Gen. Petraeus’s view of the Middle East.” Washington Post contributor Adam Weinstein argues, “Nearly every point Gen. David Petraeus made about the Middle East was a caricature of our flawed policy.”

THE FUNNIES

1. Who?

2. FBI troubles.

3. Barrel bottoms.

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Ed Ledford enjoys the most challenging, complex, and high stakes communications requirements. His portfolio includes everything from policy and strategy to poetry. A native of Asheville, N.C., and retired Army Aviator, Ed’s currently writing speeches in D.C. and working other writing projects from his office in Rockville, MD. He loves baseball and enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring anything. Follow Ed on Twitter @ECLedford.